A pavilion kit is a good product on the right base and a problem on the wrong one. We install both kinds sold in Kansas City — the boxed cedar-and-steel-roof kits from big-box stores and warehouse clubs, and the heavier Amish or timber-frame kits that arrive by freight — on the foundation the manual and your city actually require, anchored the way the manufacturer specifies, with the building and electrical permits pulled when your size needs them. Assembly of a big-box kit runs about $600–$2,000; a shipped timber or vinyl kit $2,500–$8,000 plus footings. Kits are not "temporary structures": every city in the metro treats a roofed kit anchored to a slab as an accessory structure.
What the manuals actually require
| Kit type | Base the maker calls for | Anchoring | Weather rating (maker's claim) | Warranty |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cedar + galvanized steel roof (big-box) | "Install unit on level ground"; "manufacturer recommends installation on concrete surface or concrete post pads"; a wood deck only with "ample structural support" underneath | Powder-coated steel plates with concrete screws; pre-drill | Up to 100 mph wind; 50 lb/sq ft snow on some models | 5 years, conditioned on sealing the wood "once or twice a year" |
| FSC cedar + aluminum roof (warehouse club) | "A solid, level surface"; post mounts to a new or existing wood or concrete surface; anchoring hardware "purchased separately" | ½-inch post-mount holes; lag or wedge anchors you supply | Not rated for structures that trap wind, rain or snow; "accumulated snow must be removed from roof" | 1 year materials/workmanship; 5 years lumber rot; excludes wind, storms, hail, checking; maintenance is a warranty condition |
| Vinyl-wrapped Amish pavilion | "Must be secured to a proper foundation or footers according to your local codes"; foundation brackets for a concrete pad | Brackets to pad or piers | 140 mph wind, 45 lb/sq ft snow (one maker) | Varies by maker |
| Timber-frame kit | Site-specific footings "tied to soil and local code" — not included | Concealed knife plates / post bases in each post | Engineered per address on request | Varies by maker |
Sources: manufacturers' assembly manuals and product pages, read September 30, 2026.
The one thing every manual agrees on: level, solid, and anchored. What none of them says is what "concrete surface" means in a Kansas City freeze-thaw yard — which is why the slab question comes first.
Can your slab take it?
For a light cedar-and-steel kit, a sound patio slab at least 4 inches thick, level, uncracked and not heaving is generally what the makers designed for; wedge anchors need that thickness to hold under wind load. For a vinyl Amish pavilion or a timber kit, the slab is not a footing — posts need piers to the city's frost depth (36 inches almost everywhere here) or a small-structure relief where a city grants one. Pavers over concrete must come up at the post locations. The decision guide is can you build a pavilion on an existing patio?; the short version is that we look at the slab before we quote, every time.
What goes wrong when kits are installed badly
Reports we read while researching this page, from a consumer-protection complaint board and long-term owner reviews: a roof assembled top-down instead of bottom-up that leaked everywhere; three of four legs out of plumb; a stamped-concrete patio damaged by improper anchoring; pre-drilled holes that did not line up and a split beam blamed on forcing them; rust marks on an aluminum roof and a cracked cedar post after five years on a kit that was never sealed. None of that is the kit's fault alone. It is what happens when the base is wrong, the sequence is wrong, or the maintenance the warranty requires never happens.
What we do
- Pre-order check. Tell us the model before you buy. We confirm the footprint against your city's permit threshold and setbacks, the base the manual wants, and whether your slab qualifies.
- Base. Level pads, piers to frost depth, or a new slab — whichever the kit and the city require.
- Delivery day. Kits arrive curbside in boxes or on a freight pallet; we move them, inventory the parts and report shortages or damage before assembly starts.
- Assembly and anchoring per the manual, square and plumb, with the anchors the maker specifies (and the ones they leave out of the box).
- Roof in the maker's sequence; underlayment where the kit allows it.
- Permit and inspection when your size requires it; electrical through a licensed electrician on its own permit.
What it costs
| Big-box cedar/steel kit | Shipped vinyl or timber kit | |
|---|---|---|
| Kit (list) | $2,499 (12×10) – $5,499 (20×20) | $11,300 (12×16 vinyl) – $38,800 (16×20 timber, upper series) |
| Assembly | $600–$2,000 | $2,500–$8,000 |
| Base | anchors $50–$150 on a sound slab; pads or piers $1,000–$3,600 | piers $1,000–$3,600; new slab $6–$13/sq ft |
| Permit | if over the city threshold | yes, nearly always; drawings/engineering $500–$1,500 when required |
| Built, roughly | $4,000–$9,500 | $18,000–$50,000 |
Full line items in the cost guide; run your own in the Instant Estimate.
Get a quote
Kit assembly and installation is its own request type on our quote form so it reaches the right scheduling — tell us the model, your city and what the site looks like now. Get a quote.
Not ready to talk yet? Read pavilion kits vs custom-built in Kansas City and the complete guide.
Frequently asked questions
Is a kit a temporary structure that doesn't need a permit? No. A roofed kit anchored to a slab is an accessory structure to every city in the metro; size decides the building permit, and zoning applies regardless.
My kit says it can go on a wood deck. Only with "ample structural support" underneath, in the maker's words. A deck framed for people is not necessarily framed for a roof and wind uplift; we check the framing before we say yes.
Does the kit come with anchors? Big-box kits include anchor plates and concrete screws; warehouse-club kits often do not — the manual tells you to buy anchoring hardware separately. We bring what the installation needs.
Can I add a tongue-and-groove ceiling or lights to a kit? Often yes; ceilings run about $4–$10 per square foot installed and electrical is a separate permit. Decide before assembly so blocking and conduit go in first.